Sharon : Coalition Sound, Furor Over

November 18, 1985|By United Press International

LOS ANGELES — Israeli Trade Minister Ariel Sharon said Sunday the crisis he created by sharply criticizing Prime Minister Shimon Peres last week has passed and will not fracture the coalition government.

''I believe the crisis in our government is over,'' Sharon said at a press conference, adding that relations had improved. ''We'll be able to proceed and work together until the next elections in November 1988. We'll be able to concentrate on the economy, anti-terrorism and the critical issues.''

Sharon had threatened to bring down Israel's nine-party ''national unity'' coalition government last week when he accused Peres of negotiating secretly with Arabs and suggested Peres wanted to return the West Bank and the Golan Heights to Lebanon and Syria in exchange for a peace treaty.

Sharon -- who nearly lost his job over the criticisms until he apologized -- also claimed Peres had refused to rule out the possibility of including Syria and the Palestine Liberation Organization, both archenemies, in peace negotiations.

The minister of trade and industry retracted several of his charges Friday and issued a written ''clarification'' of others under a compromise in which Peres dropped his plan to dismiss Sharon from his Cabinet.

Sharon, who was in Los Angeles to attend a dinner honoring Michael Litvak, Israel Bonds Man-of-the-Year, took a conciliatory tone during a press conference.

Asked about Peres' threat to fire any Cabinet member who, henceforth, makes accusations as Sharon did, the trade minister said he didn't want to discuss Israeli internal affairs while he was abroad.

Sharon dismissed allegations that he had hoped to topple the coalition government by his remarks, saying it was ''speculation and nothing more.''

The trade minister refused to say if he would remain silent should Peres suggest Israel withdraw from the West Bank and Golan Heights.

''Israel is a democracy, that's how we conduct our affairs,'' Sharon said. ''But I don't believe we can withdraw because . . . in order to keep peace, Israel must have its needed security and the minimum need is its present borders.''

But Sharon took a hard line on negotiations.

''Endless concessions are not the way to achieve peace,'' he said.

On the approaching Geneva summit, Sharon said he had little hope the Soviets would change their attitude toward allowing Jews to emigrate from their country.